Scholarship Application Tips & Tricks for the Starving Student

Interested in applying for scholarships this year but feel overwhelmed with the whole idea? Need to apply for a number of scholarships to survive the next school year? Well here are a few tips and tricks to make your scholarship application blitz run effectively, smoothly, and ultimately be more rewarding.

1. Create a "Scholarship Application" portfolio by purchasing a binder and some clear sheet protectors. This will be the perfect place for you to keep all of the regularly requested documents that most scholarships require. Examples of these documents are: transcripts, resume’, photographs, biography, outline of community involvement (within and outside of school), and template cover page. Electronic copies of most of these documents (resume’ biography, etc.) should also be kept in this resource binder for easy revision and retrieval. Note that some scholarship applications request transcripts directly from the school or institution. In this case, it is also a good idea to keep contact numbers of appropriate people and departments for this purpose to avoid directory searches.
2. Secondly, "Search Smartly". Seek out those scholarships that have refined criteria, and so, will not likely be applied for by a number of students. Have your parents check with their place of employment/union to determine whether any scholarship programs are available there. Many of these programs are only available to children of employees and are not widely publicized. Religious organizations may also offer scholarships. If you are graduating from high school, the high school might have a listing of scholarships available to graduating students. Check with your guidance counsellor or academic advisor about this. There also may be several scholarships available at the post secondary institution you have been accepted to. Scholarships such as these are usually in the form of athletic, academic, and departmental awards. The military offers scholarships and stipends in return for a tour of duty with the department who supported your education. The Internet is also a fantastic tool for searching scholarship databases; however, they are limited to the search words that are used and are not perfect tools. Set aside a good block of time to research scholarships using this method.

Essentially, your scholarship application is a paper portrait of you. Make sure that the application is complete, professional, and shows your uniqueness and why you deserve to receive the scholarship.

For a more comprehensive discussion on all of these above points and more, visit these fantastic websites (and a resources for this article), Scholarship Help, at www.scholarshiphelp.org and Scholarships Canada.

Good luck!